The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is signaling its commitment to combating inflation with more aggressive monetary tightening. Governor Kazuo Ueda has reaffirmed the central bank’s stance on potential interest rate hikes, sending shockwaves through the financial markets.
In a recent statement, Ueda emphasized that the BOJ remains prepared to adjust its monetary policy stance if economic conditions warrant. His comments sparked a rally in the Japanese yen against the US dollar, with the currency appreciating significantly during Tokyo trading.
The BOJ’s latest stance marks a departure from its historically loose monetary policy. The central bank has already implemented several rate hikes, including a significant increase in July. These moves aim to address rising inflation rates, which have exceeded the BOJ’s target of 2%.
While the BOJ’s actions have been met with some concerns about their impact on the economy, Governor Ueda has assured investors that the central bank is closely monitoring financial markets. He has emphasized the importance of maintaining stability and avoiding excessive volatility.
The BOJ’s tightening measures have also had implications for the yen carry trade, a popular investment strategy that involves borrowing yen at low interest rates and investing the proceeds in higher-yielding assets. As the yen has strengthened, the attractiveness of this trade has diminished, leading to a decline in its popularity.
However, there may be opportunities for investors in the yuan carry trade. This strategy involves borrowing yuan and investing in higher-yielding assets, and it is less susceptible to the volatility associated with the yen carry trade. According to the Royal Bank of Canada, the yuan carry trade could be a more resilient option given China’s dovish monetary policy.
As the BOJ continues to navigate the challenges of inflation and economic growth, its decisions will have a significant impact on global financial markets. Investors will be closely watching the central bank’s future moves for clues about the direction of interest rates and the yen.
Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee to view the market from the eyes of financial experts across TradFi and crypto. Given the more established financial channels, there is growing overlap, with Bitcoin (BTC) inadvertently benefiting from TradFi woes.
Crypto News of the Day: Max Keiser Says Bitcoin and Saylor Are the Future
Warren Buffett made the ultimate case for Bitcoin as the American investor considers stepping down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
Pending board approval, Buffett could step aside at the end of the year, giving way for Greg Abel, vice chair of non-insurance operations, to become Berkshire’s new chief.
This revelation came at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting on May 3, 2025, where Buffett also offered a stark warning about the long-term value of the US dollar.
He noted that every system eventually debases its currency. According to Warren Buffett, government decisions make paper money lose value over time.
“In the end, if you get people to control the currency, you can issue paper money, and you will,” Buffett told shareholders in Omaha.
Warren Buffett Slams US Fiscal Policy at Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting
Without naming alternatives such as Bitcoin, the 93-year-old investor cautioned against holding assets denominated in a currency he said was systematically devalued by government policy.
“The natural course of government is to make the currency worth less over time… Some places devalue at breathtaking rates… it’s not evil, it’s just their job,” he added.
The investing icon said that if his late partner, Charlie Munger, had to choose a second area besides stocks, he would have gone into foreign exchange.
These remarks suggested an openness to non-traditional assets. Bitcoin advocate and broadcaster Max Keiser responded to the remarks in an interview with BeInCrypto.
Max Keiser interprets Buffett’s comments as a tacit validation of the thesis behind Bitcoin.
“Executive chairman and co-founder of MicroStrategy Michael Saylor is the Warren Buffett of the 21st century. He saw what Buffett described and built his strategy around it,” Keiser started.
“Warren Buffett built his empire on money printing. Most of his holdings over the years have been in banks, insurance companies, and financial services,” Keiser claimed.
In his view, Buffett benefited from having political leverage in Washington, particularly during the 2008 financial crisis. During this time, Keiser says, his [Buffett] investments in Wall Street institutions aligned with government-led rescue efforts.
Buffett’s Role During The 2008 Financial Crisis Is Well Documented
Michael Saylor, meanwhile, has taken a dramatically different approach. Under his leadership, MicroStrategy (now Strategy) began acquiring Bitcoin in 2020 as part of its corporate treasury strategy. The firm cited concerns about the long-term debasement of fiat currencies.
As of early 2025, the company holds more than 200,000 BTC, worth tens of billions of dollars at current market prices. A recent US Crypto News publication revealed one of Strategy’s latest Bitcoin purchases.
Buffett has long been critical of Bitcoin, famously calling it “rat poison squared” in 2018. However, some in the digital asset space have interpreted his recent comments about currency debasement as aligning with core arguments made by Bitcoin proponents.
Based on his remarks, the American investor and philanthropist is concerned about the US fiscal policy.
His comments allude that while he may not like Bitcoin, he clearly understands why it exists. Sentiment on X (Twitter) shows that community members took notice.
Responses suggest that if Warren Buffett understands money and its flaws manifested in fiat form, why does he not endorse Bitcoin as the solution?
“Warren Buffet talks about the virtues of Bitcoin without mentioning Bitcoin,” one user on X quipped.
Meanwhile, others hope Buffett’s prospective replacement as CEO will see the next Berkshire Hathaway chief to lead the company in a different direction, potentially adopting Bitcoin.
A spokesperson for Berkshire Hathaway did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Keiser’s remarks.
Elsewhere, and in line with Buffett’s statement about foreign exchange, QCP Capital analysts cite a remarkable 8% rally in the Taiwanese Dollar (TWD) on Monday.
They cite this as the TWD’s sharpest move in decades, alongside gains in other APAC currencies with strong current account surpluses. According to the analysts, speculation over a potential US-Taiwan trade deal drove this rally, as did insurer-hedging flows, pushing TWD’s 1Y NDF spread to its widest since 2008.
While Taiwan’s trade surplus supports the TWD, capital outflows have historically balanced it. This shift mirrors past foreign exchange dislocations like the 2023 JPY carry unwind.
For crypto, the move signals possible macro volatility ahead, with gold up 3% and BTC facing a binary path tied to global capital flows and trade diplomacy.
“In a market where correlations are fraying, FX may once again be the canary in the macro coalmine,” wrote QCP analysts.
Chart of the Day
US dollar index (DXY) performance year-to-date. Source: TradingView
The chart shows the US Dollar Index (DXY) trend from 2025, reflecting fluctuations in the value of the US dollar against a basket of major currencies. It indicates a downward movement from February to May, with a recent slight recovery.
Byte-Sized Alpha
Here’s a summary of more crypto news to follow today:
A new discussion draft introduces a framework to reduce market concentration and foster innovation. The bill clarifies jurisdiction between the SEC and CFTC, emphasizing decentralized systems and providing regulatory clarity for digital asset markets.
XRP has gained roughly 8% over the past seven days. Earlier in the week, the world’s first XRP ETF was launched in Brazil. Despite the positive momentum, XRP remains caught in a tight trading range, with key resistance and support levels still defining its short-term outlook.
Recent indicators, including the RSI rebound and a slightly bullish Ichimoku Cloud structure, point to cautious optimism.
XRP’s RSI Rebounds: What It Means for the Price Action
XRP’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) currently stands at 58.36, rising from 47.34 earlier today but still down from 77.7 reached four days ago.
This movement shows a recovery from recent lower levels, although it remains below the overbought conditions seen earlier in the week.
The recent RSI trend suggests that while bullish momentum has resurfaced in the short term, XRP has not yet regained the same strength it displayed just a few days ago, signaling a more cautious sentiment among traders.
RSI, or Relative Strength Index, is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements on a scale from 0 to 100.
Typically, an RSI above 70 signals that an asset is overbought and might be due for a correction, while an RSI below 30 indicates it is oversold and could be poised for a rebound.
With XRP’s RSI now at 58.36, the asset is in neutral-to-slightly-bullish territory, suggesting there is still room for further gains without immediately triggering overbought conditions.
If buying pressure continues, this could set the stage for a gradual upward move, though a lack of strong momentum could also result in range-bound trading.
XRP Hovers Above Cloud as Momentum Stalls
The Ichimoku Cloud for XRP presents a bullish structure, with the price just slightly above the cloud.
The future cloud remains green, indicating that bullish conditions are still projected ahead. However, the proximity of the lines to the price suggests some hesitation or consolidation in the short term.
The Ichimoku system fully views trend direction, momentum, and support/resistance areas.
When the price is above the cloud with a green cloud ahead, it usually signals a favorable trend, but when the Tenkan-sen and Kijun-sen hug the price closely, it can indicate a lack of clear conviction from either buyers or sellers.
In XRP’s case, the bullish trend remains intact, but the tight positioning of the lines points to a fragile uptrend where a sharp move in either direction could easily shift the structure.
XRP Outlook: Will Bulls or Bears Take Control?
XRP price is trading within a tight range, caught between a resistance level of $2.30 and a support level of $2.11.
This sideways movement comes just two days after the launch of the world’s first XRP ETF in Brazil, a development that could eventually influence market sentiment.
If XRP falls and loses the $2.11 support, it could lead to a decline toward the next support level, $2.04.
Should bearish momentum intensify further, a deeper retracement could see XRP test lower levels at $1.96, making it crucial for buyers to defend the current support zone.
Conversely, if XRP tests and breaks above the $2.30 resistance with strong bullish momentum, the next upside target would be around $2.50.
Continued strength could push the price toward $2.59, potentially extending to $2.64 if buyers maintain control.